We can help to provide you with information on a broad range of topics related to criminal charges and law. While this is not legal advice, we hope it will be a help in guiding you towards the information you need and/or help you to make decisions about whether or not you or someone you are close to needs legal help.
Who needs criminal defense legal help?
People who have been charged with a crime, typically benefit from legal help. There are many procedures that need to followed, papers that need to be filed and court appearances that need to be made. A lawyer can usually do most of these things for you and a good lawyer will know how to do them all in a timely manner. A good lawyer will also know how to use the law to defend your rights in the hopes of getting your charges dismissed or your punishment decreased.
What is a plea bargain?
A plea bargain is an agreement between a defendant and a prosecutor in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty to some or all of the charges against them in exchange for the prosecutor being more lenient in their charges and demands for sentencing. Plea bargains are often appealing for many different reasons. One of these is that they get rid of the need for a trial which can be a lengthy and tiresome process.
What is criminal defense law?
Criminal defense law consists of the legal protections that are supposed to be provided to people who have been accused of committing a crime. Crimes are often defined as deviant behavior that violates social norms. What constitutes these as well as punishments for them is determined at both the federal and state levels Government and law enforcement entities tend to have extensive resources at their disposal that make it easy for them to get a conviction, even when a person is innocent. As well, prosecutors and law enforcement are people and like all people, they make mistakes. A lawyer can try to make sure that a mistake does not cause you undue punishment, stress and anxiety. Criminal defense lawyers know how to use constitutional guarantees to make sure that their clients’ constitutional rights are upheld.
Does a criminal charge always result in jail time?
People are usually put in jail after they have been arrested for a crime. Different factors determine how long a person has to stay in jail while a case is pending and requires the defendant to post bail. It is common for a defendant’s bail amount to prevent them from being able to get out of jail. A good defense lawyer will work hard to try to get a judge to assign an amount that will not have a significantly negative affect on the defendant’s financial situation.